The Telugu Desam Party is gearing up to release its manifesto for the forthcoming elections on Monday, coinciding with Ugadi, the Telugu New Year day.
The party is exploring options to release two manifestoes – for Telangana and Seemandhra regions – incorporating the promises TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu made for the two regions during his marathon padayatra. The TDP’s Polit Bureau which met here on Sunday discussed the contents that should be incorporated in the manifesto to give it “more youthful look”.
The manifesto for Seemandhra, according to polit bureau member S. Chandramohan Reddy, will lay emphasis on reconstruction of the successor State to ensure that problems on account of bifurcation were resolved. Infrastructure development, port based industries and value addition to agricultural produce would form some of the thrust areas of manifesto which would elaborate on how the TDP planned to make the new State a competitive investment destination.
TDP Telangana panel president L. Ramana said the manifesto for Telangana would consist the party’s promises like BC declaration and action plans for addressing the issues facing farmers and other sections. “The manifesto will reflect the promises made by Mr. Naidu during his padayatra and his vision to alleviate the problems facing different sections,” he said. The manifesto would focus on the new problems relating to irrigation, power and water that would come up in Telangana post bifurcation.
TDP MP Ramesh Rathod refuted TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s criticism of Mr. Naidu and said it was Mr. Rao who toed the footsteps of the Congress ignoring the interests of poorer sections like beedi workers. The TRS president who was confined to “his farm house” when the agitation was at its peak admitted several leaders who indulged in attacks on agitating students and other communities.
“The TRS’ true strength could have come out had the Supreme Court not intervened and deferred announcement of results of local bodies’ elections,” Mr. Rathod said.
Kavuri to join todayMeanwhile, Guntur Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao is set to join the TDP in the presence of Mr. Naidu here on Monday.
